


I’ll Wait For You To Blink First

by Monna99



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-18
Updated: 2017-08-31
Packaged: 2018-12-03 17:51:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11537364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Monna99/pseuds/Monna99
Summary: In an unprecedented act of lunacy, Detective Daniel Williams kissed his partner, I-have-the-emotional-range-of-a-rock Commander Steven McGarrett.





	1. Chapter 1

In an unprecedented act of lunacy, Detective Daniel Williams kissed his partner, I-have-the-emotional-range-of-a-rock Commander Steven McGarrett.

And, oh shit. Shit. Steve wasn’t moving. He looked genuinely shocked. Unnerved. That settled it, Danny was going to panic now. Yes, he was. “Fuck. Sorry. I’m sorry,” he blurted, jerking back.

Or he tried to jerk back, anyway. Steven-lightning-reflexes-McGarrett locked his arms automatically. “Danny, what was that?” He asked carefully. 

“Nothing.” Danny forced his arms between their bodies to pry himself away so he could go die in shame in some dark, peaceful corner. McGarrett (again) tightened his arms. “Nothing,” he insisted. He was pleading now. “Sorry. Okay? I’m sorry. Momentary lapse in reason.” He tried to wriggle free again.

“Cut it out!” Steve snapped.

“You cut it out!” Danny yelled back. “Let go, you ape.”

McGarrett’s eyes narrowed. “I let you go now and you’ll hightail it out of here so fast you’ll leave skid marks. Then you’ll probably never talk to me again.”

“Well, what does that tell you?” Danny gasped as his partner-cum-boa-constrictor tightened his arms yet again. 

“That you’re being a coward. Ow! Did you seriously stomp on my foot?”

Danny glared. “Did you seriously call me a coward?”

Steve sighed. “All right. I’m sorry. Do over.”

“What are you, twelve?”

Steve loosened his hold but clamped one hand on Danny’s arm in case he got any ideas. “You kissed me,” he stated baldly. Daniel would just dance circles around it if Steve let him.

Danny flinched. “Like I said, that was a mistake.” 

“Yeah? I don’t think so. You crush your fingers against a car door by mistake. You put salt instead of sugar in your coffee by mistake. You don’t kiss someone by mistake, Daniel.” Steve ended his little rant by shaking Danny’s arm.

“Christ, then it was by insanity, okay?” Danny jerked his arm away. “Must mean you’re rubbing off on me.”

Steve stared at him, musing. 

“Okay, whatever that look is right now? I don’t like it. I want that to go on record.”

“So, you’re gay? And you never told me?” Steve looked hurt for a heartbeat before his expression smoothed out. 

Danny groaned and pressed his fists tightly over his closed eyelids until the could see tiny, painful bursts of color. “I’m not gay. Remember Rachel? I was happily married to her. It’s more complicated than just gay or straight.”

“So you’re bisexual?” 

“I’m gonna clock you.” 

Steve glared. “Well, what the hell else is there? You’re either gay, or you’re straight, or maybe both, right?”

“That does it. I am done with this conversation. I am not going to be the gay Yoda to your dumb, straight Luke Skywalker. I will not- What the hell are you doing?!”

“Yeah, hey, Chin. I need to ask you some questions about sexuality.” Steve nimbly sidestepped Danny’s lunge for the phone. “Chin? You still there?”

“I cannot believe you! You are insane. Hang up the phone this minute! What the hell is wrong with you!?”

“Chin?” Steve was yelling into the receiver to be heard over Danny’s wailing. “No, it’s not for a case. What? Hold on a second, I’m not asking you to be my therapist. I just have a few- Hello? Chin?”

Danny lunged for the phone again, face a shade of red that McGarrett had never seen. He sidestepped again. 

“I cannot believe you called Chin about this-”

“You’re right. Bad tactical move.” Steve dialed again.

“No! Put it down. Who the hell are you calling now?”

“Hey, Kono-”

Danny tackled McGarrett at the waist, sending them both sprawling and the phone flying across the lookout. It landed with a definite crunch.

He and Steve both stared at the shattered device. “You owe me a new phone.” Steve stood with enviable swiftness and held a hand out to Danny. Danny ignored it and stood on his own. “You better call Kono,” he said after a beat, “or she’ll have SWAT out here canvassing the area.”

“It’s completely your fault that she would react that way. You need to work on not getting kidnapped and/or nearly killed so often,” Danny grumbled as he reached for his phone. “And my knees are scraped up, so thanks for that.” He assured Kono everything was fine as Steve railed at him in the background.

“You must be okay if he’s bitching you out,” Kono said, amused. “Tell the boss-man to stay out of trouble.”

“Sure thing.” Danny dropped his phone back in his pocket and started towards his car. “I’ve had it with this view, let’s get out here.” 

“Don’t walk away, Danny.”

“I’m walking away. And you should be walking with me. Let’s go.”

Steve crossed his arms. Halfway to the car Danny realized he didn’t have his keys. Damn McGarrett and his control issues, now Danny never had the keys to his own car. He took a deep breath and turned back. 

“Steve, seriously. Let’s forget this happened.”

“Yeah?” Steve glared. “And I suppose that won’t come back to bite me in the ass when you put in for a transfer to another department tomorrow?”

Actually, Danny had been planning on making that call as soon he got rid of McGarrett. “Of course not,” he lied. 

“You’re a horrible liar.” McGarrett pointed to the worn bench overlooking the ocean. “We’re not leaving until we iron this out. Until you promise me - and mean it - that you’re not leaving Five-0.”

“Fine, I won’t leave Five-0. Can we leave now?”

Steve rolled his eyes. “Color me not convinced.”

“Steve, what do you want? Huh?” He sat down, feeling like his strings had been cut. “You want me to go to work with you every day and pretend that things aren’t awkward? That you don’t feel sorry for me? It’s not gonna work, okay? Only way to save what’s left of our friendship is for our partnership to end.”

“No.” Steve glared, sitting next to him. 

Not too close though, Danny noted bitterly. 

“You stay. That is non-negotiable. If you leave now … if we don’t talk about this, things will never be the same between us again.”

Danny laughed, cynical. “You’re only fooling yourself, McGarrett. We can talk until we both turn blue and things still won’t go back to how they were.”

Steve stood, agitatedly running his hand over his head. “Tell me why you kissed me.”

Danny would have rolled his eyes if he hadn’t felt ready to upchuck from pure anxiety. “You know why.”

“I don’t know, Daniel. That’s why I’m asking!” Steve yelled.

“It’s self-explanatory,” Danny insisted stubbornly.

Steve flushed a dark, unattractive red (okay fine, the son of a bitch was still attractive) and started looking apoplectic. “In the time I have known you, Daniel,” McGarrett bit out, “you have had three girlfriends that I know of, and not once have you mentioned - or shown - an interest in men, so forgive me for being extremely befuddled.”

“Did you really just use that word? Did you just say befuddled to me?” 

Steve’s lips tightened. 

Okay, Danny thought, that was a stupid thing to say. Steve was already at the edge of blowing a gasket.

Except McGarrett didn’t blow up. He took a deep breath and calmed down instead. That was actually scarier. “You’re wheedling me on purpose.” He took a deliberate step closer to the shorter man. “It won’t work. This is too important.” He sat again on the rough-hewn bench. “Tell me why you kissed me.”

“Jesus, Steven. Let it go, please,” Danny said, finally breaking and begging. He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t coldly sit and assess the way his heart had taken to jumping like a fish on a line at the sight of the other man. He hadn’t been able to stop himself from kissing McGarrett. He couldn’t analyze it, couldn’t put this under a microscope and it was too cruel of Steve to ask that of him. He couldn’t explain it anyway - it had felt like a culmination of years of love and comfort and family and home and it had felt completely natural to kiss McGarrett. He could admit to himself now that he’d been wanting to do it for a long time. 

Steve squinted. He was staring fixedly at Danny, focused like he was when he had an objective. “Kiss me again,” he demanded, as abrupt and unpredictable in this as he was in nearly everything else he did. 

Danny stared, open-mouthed. “You-”

“Look,” Steve sighed. “I’m not gonna lie and say that I saw this coming, or that I ever thought about us as anything more than friends-”

“And you never have to.” Danny ignored the wave of depression he felt at that thought. It was temporary. He’d get over it like he’d gotten over his separation and his divorce and Rachel marrying another man and the move to Hawaii. 

“It’s too late for that. I need to know.”

Danny huffed angrily. “What the hell do you need to know, Steven?” He shoved off the bench. “You’re not gay! What the hell more information do you need?”

“I need to know why it felt …” Steve stopped, he looked confused, “okay for you to kiss me.”

“Why it felt okay?” Danny laughed. “Jesus, that is a hell of a glowing endorsement.”

Steve shrugged. “You surprised me, but it wasn’t bad. I want to try again.” 

“No.” Danny was as cold and definite as a Jersey winter. “If I didn’t know you like I do, Steven, I’d say you were being deliberately cruel. Don’t you realize-” Danny’s voice cracked and he stopped, swallowing hard.

Steve felt the bottom of his stomach drop out. “Hey,” he put his hand on Danny’s tense shoulder and squeezed. “I’m sorry. I swear to you, I’m not trying to be cruel. The last thing I would ever want to do is hurt you. Hey,” he pulled Williams around, “this isn’t me being an ass, it’s me trying to figure out if I can give you what you want.”

“You can’t.”

“You don’t know that.”

“You’re not gay!”

“Apparently, you’re not either!”

Danny’s lips twitched and he saw an answering grin on McGarrett’s face. Jesus. Only McGarrett could make him laugh and break his heart in one go. 

“I won’t leave Five-0,” he said finally. Reluctantly. “Not if you don’t want me to. You, Chin, Kono, Lou, you’re my family. You’re Gracie’s family.” Steve relaxed, breathing a sigh of relief and Danny raised a brow in question. “I guess you really were worried.”

“You’re a lot more dense than I thought if you believed for a second I would want you gone.”

Danny looked away.

“So,” McGarrett said softly, “about that kiss ...”

“Any chance of you letting this go?”

“You know the answer to that, Danno.”

“You’re looking at me like you look at a suspect you’re trying to crack.” Danny scratched his cheek. “Can we give this up as a lost cause, please? I already promised I wasn’t going anywhere. You and your abandonment issues have nothing to worry about.”

“Jesus.” McGarrett glared. “You can be a real asshole, you know that?”

“I love you, too,” he retorted without thinking, then could have bitten his tongue off. He didn’t turn to McGarrett but he could feel that annoying grin of his radiating at him. 

“I want to try.”

“Come on, McGarrett,” he whined. “Don’t do this. This isn’t something you try, okay? It either is or it’s not, and for you, it’s not.”

McGarrett moved closer, shifted nearer like he was approaching something dangerous and put both his hands on Danny’s shoulders. “I don’t want to hurt you, Daniel,” McGarrett said, all sincere blue eyes. “But I think this is something we owe to ourselves to be one hundred percent sure about.”

Danny tried to shake him off, but it was like trying to shake off a particularly stubborn octopus. Not that Danny would know anything about that, he stayed out of the water, thank you very much. “You’re trying to approach this with logic, Steve, and that’s not how compatibility works.”

“We’re compatible,” Steve argued, dogged as ever. “We’re the most compatible people I know.”

“First of all, that is a lie. Secondly, I can’t believe you’re gonna make me spell this out for you.” He took a deep breath. “I. Am. Talking. About. Sexual. Compatibility,” Danny enunciated exaggeratedly. 

“That’s what I want to test. That’s why I want you to kiss me, see if this can work.”

“Why, for god’s sake?” Danny cried, plaintive.

Steve hesitated. “Because … I love introducing you to new things. Because I want to know absolutely everything about you. Because when we’re not together I’m wondering what you’re doing. Because I always have to know what your plans are when you’re not with me. Because you drive me absolutely crazy, but I can’t imagine my life without you. Because I trust you and I,” Steve took a breath, “I love you.”

Danny smiled, though it was kind of sad and wistful. “You love Kono and Chin too,” he said gently. “Hell, I can probably also add Jerry, Lou, Max, and Kamekona to that list.”

Steve made a sound of frustration. “You’re not hearing me, Danny.” He rubbed at his face. “Okay, you remember the therapist we went to go see?”

“Yeah?” Danny looked suspicious.

“I went to see her without you a couple of times.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets. He was starting to sweat a little from the afternoon sun. “She just … she kinda got under my skin when she implied that our relationship wasn’t normal.”

Danny snorted. “News flash, it’s not.”

“I know.” Steve shrugged. “But that’s the thing - she made it sound like it was bad. I mean, who the hell was she to say that what we have is inappropriate or codependent?”

“Well-”

“Don’t you fucking agree with her,” Steve growled. “But, yeah okay, it made me realize that what I feel for you isn’t like I feel for anyone else. And I need to know if maybe …” He stopped, looking lost. “I don’t know, but I can tell you that if Lou or Max or Chin had shoved their tongues down my throat, I might have taken a swing at them. And hell, the thought of Kono kissing me makes me break out in a cold sweat.” 

Danny wasn’t looking mulish anymore. “Steve-”

“I’m saying I want to try, okay? I want to know. So come here,” he finished softly.

Danny didn’t move. His heart was going so fast he was actually worried about impending congestive heart failure. Trust McGarrett to be the cause of his very first heart attack.

“Just remember that this was your horrible idea.” Danny shifted closer to McGarrett. “Any and all fallout is on your head.”

Steve made a noise of impatience and grabbed Danny, summarily pulling him closer. 

“No romance whatsoever. How is it you ever managed a single relationship?”

“It’s cute that you’re nervous,” McGarrett muttered. And yeah, okay, Danny wasn’t the only one who was nervous. For all the easy game he talked he couldn’t just jump right in. He took a discreet breath and let himself look - really look - at Danny. Those gorgeous, wide blue eyes looked a little clouded, unsure, but it was still the same face he’d been looking at for years. Same strength and kindness, same stubborn mouth. Steve grinned, yeah, this wouldn’t be hard at all. “Come on, babe. Kiss me.”

Danny didn’t move, hardly seemed to be breathing so Steve moved first. He closed the distance between their lips, tilting his head to negotiate noses. He settled his lips firmly against Danny’s. It was nice. Danny’s aftershave was a soothing, familiar scent in his nose, cardamom, white sage and sun. He ignored the slightly disconcerting feel of stubble where usually there was only silky smooth skin and parted his lips a fraction.

Danny gasped. That small sound. It was so unlike Danny. Vulnerable and soft, seeking. He opened his eyes but didn’t stop kissing Danny. Wasn’t much of a kiss really, just the subtle heat of breath and the firm pressure of lips, but Danny looked fragile, unguarded and desperately yearning. Steve couldn’t stop looking at him. He opened his lips more and licked into Danny’s mouth experimentally. Danny gave a strangled moan and just like that he was sucking on Steve’s tongue, arms tight around his waist.

Steve breathed through his nose and didn’t stop kissing Danny. He ran his hands over that warm, muscled back feeling Danny press in tighter. He wanted to make Danny give him more of those noises. But then Danny pushed even closer and for the first time in his life Steve felt another man’s hard-on against his thigh. He pulled back hastily. Then nearly started again at Danny’s bereft little groan.

He stepped back, careful not to look like he was fleeing. 

Danny slowly opened his eyes. He was flushed and looked completely disheveled. His lips looked ever-so-slightly swollen. The lull only lasted a second. Danny straightened abruptly and cleared his throat. “Now can we agree I was right? This isn’t what you want-”

Steve saved his breath and just leaned forward to kiss Danny again. Swiftly and close-mouthed. 

Danny gaped. “What the hell was-”

Steve kissed him again just as quickly. 

Danny stared. And said nothing.

“Look at that. I think I finally found a way to keep you quiet,” Steve said, grinning. 

Danny glowered at him. Then a moment later he shook his head. “Give it up, Steve. You made it pretty obvious that you can’t handle this.”

“Danny, we kissed and there was even tongue. I think I’m doing pretty damned good.”

“Really?” Danny stared, speculative. “So you didn’t just freak out about …”

“About?” Steve pretended he wasn’t flushing. 

“You know what I’m talking about!”

“No, I don’t. At no point did I freak out, Danny.”

“You sure as hell pulled away fast when you felt …” Danny swallowed. “When you felt … that I was aroused, okay? You freaked out when you felt that I was hard!”

Shit. Steve sighed. “Look, Danny. Today is the very first time I have ever in my life even thought about kissing another man, much less doing anything else. It’s not that I don’t want it, it’s just going to take a little adjusting.” He moved closer to the blond, not letting him pull away. “All I’m asking is for a little patience. Please.”

“This is exactly my point, Steven. You’re pushing yourself into doing this.” Danny paced, frustrated.

Steve stepped into his path and clamped his hands onto Danny’s arms. “I’m not forcing myself to do anything. This,” he said, indicating the space between them, “this is good. I liked the kissing, it was fine. It was nice, okay? And I definitely want to explore that more.”

“Really? It was fine? The kissing was _fine_?”

Steve grinned. “Fine is highly underrated.” He kissed Danny once more for emphasis. “Now, let’s get out of here. I think I got dehydrated from all that talking.”

 

Danny told himself that he'd been fully prepared for Steve to come to his senses. As a crazy, ninja Navy SEAL, McGarrett was way too used to jumping in with both feet before testing the depth of the waters. Of course he would reevaluate his decision to get involved with a man. The guy was straight. Didn’t make it sting any less when McGarrett didn’t call him or show up at his place that morning. He hadn’t answered Danny’s call either.

He walked through the glass doors of Five-0 determined to do his job like he would any other day and immediately walked smack dab into McGarrett. 

“Where’s the fire, partner?” Steve grinned.

“Nowhere,” Danny snapped. Shit. He was supposed to be acting normal. Like nothing was bothering him. Because it wasn’t, of course.

“Something wrong, Danny?”

He opened his mouth but Kono chose that moment to burst from her office. 

“Guys, we caught a case.” She was moving out the door as she threw on her jacket. “DB at Kapiʻolani Regional Park.”

“Hold up, Kono!” Steve jogged after her. “I’m gonna need you with Danny on this one.”

She looked questioningly at Danny but nodded. “Sure, boss.”

Danny fumed but did not say a word. This was exactly, _exactly_ what he said would happen. Steve was regretting his dumb impetuousness and, in true asshole fashion, was using his leadership position to redraw the boundaries. All without ever having to talk about it directly. Well, fuck him. 

He was just stomping through the doors himself when he felt a hand latch onto his arm. 

“Hey, why are you in such a hurry?” Steve stepped in front of him, tan and gorgeous as ever. He was grinning. “That DB’s not gonna get any deader.”

Danny freed himself coolly. He wasn’t going to give this dick the satisfaction - uh, no pun intended. “No, but the evidence might. It’s been threatening rain all day. Sooner we bag and tag the better,” he bit out. There. That was professional and even borderline courteous. He moved around Steve only to find his way barred again. He clenched his fists. 

“Wow, if you got any more chilly with me I’d need a parka.” 

'You’d need to be human first.' Danny did not say that. He did not say that because he was going to be a consummate professional. It wasn’t like Steve had made promises he wasn’t keeping, not like he’d led Danny on and then stuffed his heart in a blender. Of course not.

Steve, the insensitive asshole, was still grinning. “I meant to come over this morning.” 

Sure he had. Danny sneered.

Finally it seemed to be dawning on the idiot that all was not right. “That is definitely your 'I’m genuinely upset with you but I won’t tell you why' face.” He frowned. “I haven’t even talked to you today, so what the hell could I have done?”

“Get out of my way, McGarrett. I have a crime scene to visit.”

Steve didn’t move. “Are you honestly upset that I didn’t go to your place? You always hate when I drop in unannounced.”

“Nope. Not upset, just have a dead body waiting.” Danny didn’t move. He did not move because he could tell that Steve would make a grab for him and he would not be responsible for his actions after that. They did not need to end up brawling on the floor.

Steve stared at him. His gaze turned introspective. Then he kissed Danny.

Danny wished he could say that he slugged the bastard in his smug face, but McGarrett caught him by surprise and he had already convinced himself he’d never feel Steve that close to him again, would never kiss him again, never get to touch him, so maybe he could forgive himself a few seconds of weakness when he let himself enjoy having Steven in his arms again and let himself savor how sweet he tasted.

Then he shoved the bastard back. “What the hell is the matter with you?!”

McGarrett caught himself, then had the audacity to look surprised. “I thought we were over that song and dance.”

“What song and dance? Oh,” Danny gestured between them, “is that the song and dance where you kiss me, tell me we’re going to give this a serious shot - against my sound arguments, I might add - then don’t call, don’t come over, and don’t answer my call the next morning? Is that the song and dance? What the hell are you smiling about?” Danny was just about seeing red. 

“You called me?” Steve asked, clearly missing the bigger picture. “That’s sweet, babe.”

“I swear to god I will punch you in your pompous, self-righteous face. I thought you were better than these stupid games, Steve. I thought …” Danny’s shoulders slumped and Steve lost the grin.

“Look at me.” 

Danny looked away.

“Look at me, Daniel.” Steve stepped into Danny’s space, stepped right against him, against his body and he was so … solid. It was way too easy to fall into the habit of relying on him. “There are no games here. I had no idea you’d called me. Instead of making assumptions, why don’t you ask me? Why can’t you trust me that far?”

Danny looked into those eyes the color of the deep ocean. So much blue there didn’t seem to be any other colors left in the world. It was so easy to trust Steve with his life, but this? He swallowed. “You didn’t come over. You said you meant to, but you didn’t.” Danny grit his teeth but forced himself to ask. “Why didn’t you?”

“Yeah, I meant to come over.” Steve stepped closer, giving a quick glance to make sure they were still alone, then placed his hands on Danny’s hips. “Joe called me about oh-five-hundred and asked me to meet him. He said he had some new leads on my mother that he didn’t want to divulge over an unsecured line. He’d found out that my mother had walked some of the trails in Oahu when she was here and may have planted some intel.” Steve was serious now, no hint of a grin and Danny stupidly wished he hadn’t asked. “We hiked the trails but there was nothing. Nothing we could find anyway. I walked in here about fifteen minutes before you did.”

“You were out hiking remote trails.” Danny mulled that over. Realization dawned, and with it scalding shame. “No cellphone reception.”

Steve cleared his throat. “I didn’t think you’d like me very much if I woke you up at five in the morning to tell you I’d be busy.”

Danny sighed theatrically. “You say you were on some super secret reconnaissance, but all I hear is that you stood me up to go on a sunrise stroll with a geriatric. No, I see. That’s fine.” He crossed his arms, playing at petulance and Steve laughed. Steve didn’t laugh nearly enough.

“I’m gonna make sure I tell Joe you said that.” 

Steve was staring now. Staring at Danny and Danny could feel his face flush red at being on the receiving end of that laser focus. Steve’s hands on his hips were starting to feel like brand.

“So, what was the plan for this morning?” He asked, feigning disinterest. 

“Ah, let’s see. I was going to surprise you in your apartment-”

“You mean you were going to break in. I would have had you arrested,” Danny interrupted.

“Are you done? Can I finish telling you about Mission Romance?”

Danny crossed his arms. “Oh, is that what that was? I confused it for Mission Get Yourself Shot.”

“Then,” Steve continued loudly over Danny, “I was going to make coffee and a full breakfast, including edible eggs-”

“This is your idea of romance? Criticizing my cooking skills to death?”

“Your cooking skills could be labeled a biological hazard.” Steve looked pensive. “You know, if we fed that to the subjects we bring in for interrogation-”

“You finish that thought and I will end you, McGarrett.”

Steve laughed again. It was a great sound, one of the best sounds. And then Steve was moving closer. And closer. He wasn’t stopping. He wasn’t stopping and his face and his lips were so near, and oh god, who was Danny kidding, he was already addicted to this.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy cow, peeps, this is my fastest update EVER (which is to say ... um, I don't know how quick the next one will be? But hopefully quick! I'll work on it. And Thank You so much for the comments!!! they give me life! Now without further ado ...

“Chin, do we have an I.D. on this guy yet?”

“No need boys,” Kono announced. She sauntered over to the computer, hip-checked Danny and tossed a file on the desk. “Case closed.”

Steve’s lips twitched as Danny rubbed his hip. “Look at you. When’d you have time to solve it? We don’t even have a name yet.”

“Sorry, Danny,” Kono whispered at him. “I just never get to make an entrance.”

Chin and Steve laughed.

Danny nodded. “I know what you mean, kid. These two always have to take the thunder.”

“So, what’d you find, cuz?”

Kono pulled out a sheet from the file. “I am calling this the case of the overeager, watched too many crime shows, rookie M.E.”

“Lay it on us.” 

“You will notice the cause of death has now been changed.” She passed the report around.

Steve took the paper, frowning over it. “It’s been ruled an accidental death. But he was shot, right?”

“Yup.” Kono popped the “p” sound at the end. Clearly, she was enjoying this. “So get this, our vic here was an electrician and amateur weapon-designer. When HPD canvassed the home they found all of his toys. He’d been experimenting with pressurized homemade weaponry and from the looks of it,” she pulled up gruesome images on the screen so they could all see, “he was testing them on lost or abandoned pets.”

“My God.” Chin shuddered. “I may skip lunch today.”

Steve shook his head. “Poor Fido.” 

“The M.E. saw what appeared to be a bullet wound, no bullet, no casings and immediately ruled a homicide without analyzing the evidence on scene.” She flicked to a second image. “Turns out one of his newest creations backfired – literally.”

“He shot himself?” Danny asked. “Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy. Too bad you weren’t there, babe,” he said, turning to Steve. “I’m sure a Navy SEAL who’s taken more shots than a Type II diabetic could have immediately ruled out a bullet wound.”

McGarrett, being as dense as he was, took that as a compliment and puffed his chest out in pride. “Of course.”

Danny rolled his eyes. “So, when’s Max get back from vacation?”

“Not fast enough,” Lou called, strolling in, then he shook his head. “Never thought I’d say that. You hear about our fiasco?”

Chin nodded. “Yeah. How’s the M.E. doing?”

“Still crying into his coffee.”

“You’re all heart, Lou,” Kono teased.

Steve met Danny’s eyes and motioned discreetly to his office. Danny nodded and they left the trio commiserating about their own epic failures on the job.

“What’s up, boss?”

Steve paused in closing the door. “I think I just discovered a new kink.”

“What new- Oh hell no, Steven. I will never, ever call you boss in bed,” he hissed indignantly, then snapped his mouth shut in horror. Shit. There he went with his big mouth again. He could practically feel the heat radiating off his face as the blood rushed to it. There was a very loud and self-satisfied silence behind him. He sat across from Steve’s desk and tried his best not to squirm. 

Steve took a seat, and Danny appreciated that he wasn’t laughing but did the bastard have to look so amused? “Noted. So, uh, I wanted to ask. You’re picking up Gracie at five, right?”

“You know I am.”

“You said you two didn’t have any special plans.”

There was a tone he’d never heard before in Steve’s voice. Danny was distracted from his own embarrassment trying to puzzle it out.

“Why don’t you bring her over and we can do some grilling.” Steve winked at him. “You can even pretend that I have no intention of taking Gracie swimming.”

He was nervous, Danny realized in disbelief. Since when did Commander Steven McGarrett get nervous? Danny didn’t even think he had a nervous system. “Uh. Yeah. Okay.”

“Great.” Steve ran a hand over his head. “Good. I’ll grab us a couple of steaks.”

Danny stopped halfway out of his seat. “You? _You’ll_ grab us some steaks? Are you feeling all right? Do you need a hospital?” He moved around the desk, reaching for Steve’s forehead. “I better check your temperature.”

Steve laughed and grabbed his hand then glanced around and laid a quick kiss to his palm. 

Danny exhaled roughly, curling his fingers and pulled back, jamming his hands in his pockets. “You keep that up, I’m gonna think you like me.” 

“Let’s not get carried away,” Steve said, grinning. “I’ll see you tonight?”

“Absolutely.”

 

“Uncle Steve, we’re here!”

The front door closed with a soft bang.

“I’m outside, sweetheart.”

“Are you cooking, already?” Gracie appeared at the back doors. “Let’s swim first.”

“Did I not say, not five minutes ago, that you are not allowed to let Uncle Steve talk you into swimming?” Danny said, walking in behind Grace. He turned to Steve. “You are not allowed to talk her into swimming.”

Steve held up his hands, “She’s the one talking me into it.”

“Gracie, there will be absolutely no swimming in that death trap called an ocean.” Danny spun around and headed back towards the kitchen. “Where are those steaks you promised?”

“Hey,” he whispered to Grace. “We’ll go swimming after dinner, okay?”

She nodded excitedly and high fived him.

“No, you won’t!”

Grace and Steve laughed. “Why don’t you go tell your dad the grill is ready. He’ll be in a better mood when we get him fed. And grab the skewers,” he called as she raced away.

“Sure!”

“You are a terrible influence on my daughter.” Danny huffed, coming back with the marinated steaks. 

“Uh huh. So being that you’re so opposed to her swimming I take it that means you didn’t let her bring a swimsuit?”

Danny twitched. 

“That’s what I thought.” Steve grinned. “Don’t worry, we won’t go out far, and you can always join us.”

“I didn’t bring trunks,” Danny said, all false regret.

Steve only grunted at the pathetic excuse. “You can borrow one of mine.”

“Here, Uncle Steve,” Gracie held out the vegetable skewers. “What’s dad borrowing?”

“Nothing,” Danny said at the same time that Steve said, “trunks, he’s coming swimming with us.”

“Really?” Grace hugged her father who glared at McGarrett over her head. He pretended to be busy setting the skewers on the grill. “That’s great, Danno. I love going swimming with you.”

Danny withheld a sigh. Damn it. At least he was getting a meal out of it. “Just remember, Steven, not all of us like our steak still mooing.”

Steve quickly threw the steaks on and Grace dug up a stereo from the depths of Steve’s house and hit play on the CD. 

“Linda Ronstadt?” He asked surprised. 

Steve turned the skewers. “What did you think I listened to?”

“The Star Spangled Banner, mostly.”

“Go grab us drinks, wiseguy.”

He grinned and went to get them some beers.

It was getting late quickly and Danny was surprised to realize he was having a good time. He was still waiting for the other shoe to drop. Waiting for the world to implode, or the sky to fall, or a meteorite to come crashing down directly on his head. Or for Steve to change his mind. He’d been happy once before and that had ended in bitter ashes. He didn’t believe in happily-ever-after anymore. 

“Hey,” Steve murmured coming to stand close behind him. 

Danny was facing the water and he hadn’t realized he’d been zoning out. 

“You okay?” 

“Never better.” He turned just enough to snag the top of the apron Steve was wearing. It was a crime that he hadn’t made fun of it yet. “I like the gear. You trying to send a message?” He used his Blue Moon bottle to point to the ‘kiss the cook’ stamped across the apron in blue lettering with red hearts all around it. 

“Well, there’s this guy I’m seeing and he’s a little slow on the uptake so I figured he’d need all the help I can give him.”

“I don’t know why I put up with you.”

Steve laughed. “Come on, let’s eat.”

The food was perfectly cooked, Danny admitted grudgingly. Very grudgingly. And not out loud because-

“How’s the food, Gracie?”

“It’s delicious, Uncle Steve. Danno’s never made anything this good.”

McGarrett aimed a smug look his way.

Yeah, that was why. He glared back.

“You ready for that swim?” Steve asked Grace.

“What?” Danny snapped his head up. “She can’t go swimming now. She just ate. She needs to wait thirty minutes.”

“Dad, that’s a myth,” Grace groaned. “I’ll get ready.” She jumped and made a run for the bedroom upstairs.

“In case you hadn’t noticed, it is dark. We can’t go swimming in the dark. That is child endangerment.” He didn’t even know why he bothered, Steve ignored him as usual. 

McGarrett stood and stacked the dishes in the sink.“We’ve got about an hour of daylight. Hurry up and get changed,” he called as he made his way to the bathroom.

“You are endangering my child!” he yelled after him. 

By the time he made it downstairs Steve and Grace were already in the water. He got outside, spotted a shirtless, tanned, dripping wet Steve and froze in his tracks. That was when Danny realized he’d made a serious miscalculation. It wasn’t the first time he’d seen Steve shirtless or dripping wet, but it felt like it. 

“Feel free to join us sometime today, Danno,” Steve called, eyes still on Grace. “Lengthen your strokes a little more, Gracie.”

“Sunscreen!” He blurted, then ducked inside the house. He couldn’t hide out for long though so he took a deep breath and headed back outside. Steve wasn’t patient and he’d come searching.

But Steve was still outside, hip deep in water, calling encouragements and more instructions to Grace as she cut across the water. 

Danny waded out to his calves and tried keeping his eyes on Grace but it was a lot more difficult than he’d anticipated. Maybe it was because this wasn’t like any of those other times. Danny - presumably - was allowed to look now. Maybe even encouraged to look. “Slow down there, junior SEAL,” he called out.

Grace smiled at him blindingly. 

Steve turned and crossed his arms at him. He was doing it on purpose. There was no way the man did not know how crossing his arms made his tattoos stand out and his muscles bulge and gleam in the setting sun. Danny dove and swam out a few feet. 

“Look at you go, Danno.” He could feel Steve staring but didn’t turn to look. 

They swam together for a little longer, but even in Hawaii, the sun had to set eventually. “Time to reel her in,” Steve said, breaking from underwater just ahead of him. 

“Showoff.”

Steve didn’t deny it. “Let’s go, Grace,” he called. 

“Hey Uncle Steve, watch this.” Steve dutifully stopped and watched as Grace dove underwater. She emerged just a few feet from the shore and then broke into a run. “I call first shower,” she yelled as she kicked up sand.

Steve turned to Danny. “Did she just-”

“Yes and I blame you. My daughter has become underhanded and unscrupulous thanks to you.”

“Is it wrong that I kind of approve?” He turned to grin at Danny as he reached the white Adirondack chairs-

Steve stopped. Froze. O-kay. This was definitely different. Kissing a handful of times hadn’t felt like it had changed much between them, but this … Danny was staring. He was staring at Steve’s arms, his chest, his legs, and (he was pretty sure) his crotch. He didn’t really know what to do with that. Then Danny licked his lips and- yeah, enough of that. Steve grabbed his towel and nonchalantly draped it over himself. Danny turned away.

This wasn’t something he was going to let himself think about yet, Steve decided. He liked the kissing, liked that Danny dropped his guard and let him in, that in those moments they’d kissed he wasn’t pretending to be a crotchety old man who hated everything. But the thought of doing more- 

He just hit a wall. Couldn’t really imagine touching Danny more intimately. And he couldn’t tell Danny that or the man would backpedal faster than a marine at drill. This was moving more quickly than he’d anticipated but he couldn’t pretend it caught him completely off guard. Danny wanted more between them, he’d made that clear and Steve either had to move forward with him or retreat. And he wasn’t the type to retreat. 

Danny ended up jumping in the shower after Grace, and Steve was finally able to get cleaned up after waiting for an hour.

“It was not an hour. You are such a drill sergeant.”

“How do you take longer to shower than a teenage girl?”

“Uh, no. No. Grace is not a teenager, okay? She is a child.” Danny pointed Steve’s comb at Gracie. “No rolling your eyes at me, young lady.”

Steve grinned at the pair and realized he wasn’t quite ready to have them walk out the door. “Why don’t, uh, why don’t you two stay the night?”

Danny did a double-take halfway through his newest rant about Steve’s militaristic habits. “You want two human beings to invade your home? To, and I quote, corrupt the sanctity of your living space?” He crossed his arms. “You’ll just whine all morning about how we kept you up, or how we took too long in the bathroom, or how I used your toothbrush. You’re a complete grinch about sharing your things.”

“First of all, that better be a joke about the toothbrush.” Steve rolled his shoulders and took a calming breath. “Secondly, I never said that. I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t want you to stay.”

“You hate people staying with you. You hated it when I stayed here before.”

“Because you kept the television on all night, Danny. Who does that?”

“Dad, are we staying?” Grace asked, trudging back in with her backpack. 

“No.”

“Yes.”

Grace raised her eyebrows at them. 

“Steven, you only have one couch, and I am not sleeping on the floor.”

“You slept on the floor when we went camping,” Steve argued. “Besides, you’re not sleeping on the couch. You and Grace can take the bed and I’ll take the couch.”

“You’re offering to give up your bed?” Danny clutched at his heart. “I feel like I’m in an alternate reality. Grace, am I still your father here? Does Steve have emotions?”

Steve put his hands on his trim waist, displaying his fit, toned, tan arms. Not that Danny noticed or anything. “You know what, Daniel, you can-”

Danny grinned and pointed at Grace.

“-toss the dishes in the dishwasher while I get everything ready.”

“Sure, babe,” Danny said with saccharine sweetness. 

“Can we go swimming again in the morning, Uncle Steve?”

“We are definitely going swimming. And I’m sure Danno would love to join us,” Steve added vindictively. 

Danny stifled a grin. “Since you asked so sweetly.”

 

Steve opened his eyes and glanced at the clock on the end table. The display read 11:58. He could tell Danny thought he was being quiet but he breathed too loudly and the sixth step down creaked. He didn’t move until Danny was standing over the couch then shifted and turned on his back. The light of the full moon made it plenty light enough to see. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, babe,” Danny said quietly. “Just wanted to say thank you. Tonight was good.”

“You’re welcome.”

There was silence for a full minute and then Danny flicked his arm. “Jerk. You gonna make me ask?”

Steve laughed under his breath. “Come here.” Yeah, he’d been missing this too. He hadn’t seen Danny much all day, and apparently he needed a high-strung blond bitching him out every five minutes or his life didn’t feel complete. He needed to get his head examined. Again. He locked his hand behind Danny’s neck and pulled him down. His lips met Danny’s, just a little off center. He adjusted, came back, and yes, he could definitely do this. He could do this all day. Had wanted to do it all day. 

Danny pulled back an inch, breathed softly against him, and settled his warm hand firmly on Steve’s stomach. Steve sucked in a breath, then pulled Danny down again until Danny was sitting on the couch with him, trying to balance on too-small space. Danny’s hand inched under his shirt and the warmth of his skin on direct flesh was shocking. So different to anything he’d ever felt before. He pushed the shirt up a bit more, questioningly and Steve swallowed hard but nodded and sat up enough to jerk the shirt off and toss it on the floor. 

Danny leaned down again and captured his lips, not stopping this time, not hesitating. He opened his mouth against Steve’s, tongue seeking and curling into his mouth, tasting. His hand moved down, grazed the waistband of his shorts then moved back up.

“Babe,” he gasped, as those fingers rubbed lightly over his nipples. “We can’t. Gracie.”

“I know,” Danny whispered, almost voiceless. “Just needed to touch you a little. Let me touch you.” His hands traced their same path down again, over Steve’s trembling belly to snag again, impatient on the waistband of his shorts, but this time Danny inched his fingers past the band, kiss turning rougher, more heated. 

“Daniel.” Steve caught Danny’s hands. 

“Sorry,” Danny said, on a shaky exhale. “I know.”

Steve kissed him again, closed-mouthed, lips soft, keeping it light.

Danny sighed against Steve’s lips, shifted and dropped a quick kiss on Steve’s neck, then pulled back. “Goodnight, Steven.”

“Goodnight,” Steve replied softly. “Hey,” he caught Danny’s arm before the blond could stand. “Love you, babe.”

He heard Danny swallow, saw the flash of teeth in the darkness as he smiled. “Ditto, sailor.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter. Holy moly, I may actually finish a fic! lol. this is why I never post, I can never finish anything. but! it's looking good for a finale ^-^
> 
> Again everyone, thanks for the kudos and comments! I love you!

“Look,” Danny said, turning his back, “I just gotta point out that you are way too comfortable taking your clothes off in front of me, okay?”

Steve stared in disbelief at his partner’s back. “No, not okay.” He poked Danny until he turned to face him again. “What the hell are you talking about? First of all, I only took off my shirt-”

“Yeah. Your shirt, Steven,” Danny reiterated, pointing at the other man from head to navel. “It’s inconsiderate. You’re just displaying yourself like it’s no big deal.”

Steve rubbed at his forehead as though in pain. Maybe he was in pain, the sun was unbearably hot and being out on a tin can in the ocean wasn’t making it any cooler. “It’s not a big deal. I’ve taken my shirt off in front of you a million times before.”

“Yeah, and look what that lead to!”

“Are you seriously blaming me for being attracted to me?”

Danny shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe if you didn’t throw your clothes off at the drop of a hat, I wouldn’t be interested in you. I mean, is that so crazy?”

“Yes!” Steve yelled. “That’s insane. And also, I do not rip my clothes off all the time. I think your uncontrollable lust for me is clouding-”

Danny shoved Steve off the boat. 

He gave Steve a one-fingered salute when he came sputtering to the surface. “Go find that barrel. We need the evidence inside it to make Stills’ arrest stick.” He tossed him the snorkeling mask.

Steve grinned, good mood unaffected. “I’ll get it. And I’ll do my best to keep my clothes on for the sake of your unruly, overwhelming desire for me.”

“Get going you lout,” he growled as Steve laughed. “Hey,” he called just before Steve went underwater. “Be careful,” he said self-consciously, thinking the other man might make fun of him. 

Steve only nodded. “Back in a flash.” 

 

“Max thinks the barrel we located was dumped two to three days ago, although the vic has been dead for longer. We have a forensic entomologist looking at the insect activity on the body to get a more exact date. Cause of death was a GSW to the head. Bad news is we couldn’t lift any prints from the drum.”

“Barrel was half empty, if you would,” Danny chimed in.

Steve rolled his eyes. 

“What?’ The blond turned to the others. “I thought it was funny.”

“The good news,” Steve continued loudly, “is that it had an air-tight seal. The body is perfectly preserved and we’re waiting on the ballistic match now. Once we have that, we’ll have Stills and Saunders for murder, kidnapping, attempted kidnapping, extortion, grand theft auto, identity theft and abuse of a corpse.”

“Why don’t you just throw Kennedy’s assassination in there while you’re at it, Steven?”

“It does give me special pleasure to ring up charges on scumbags like these,” he agreed.

Chin’s door opened and he stepped out waving his phone. “Guys, I got Max. Go ahead, Max, you’re on speaker.”

“As I was saying, the unique striation identifiers confirm that the weapon used to kill Angel Cora is the same one that was used in the earlier attempted kidnapping of his wife, Ignes Cora. Due to the bullets retrieved at the separate locations, we can link the same suspect to both crimes even without the weapon itself.”

“Yeah,” Lou said. “Unfortunately, that doesn’t place the weapon in either Stills’ or Saunders’ hands. Stills did file a stolen weapon report for the handgun.”

“Too bad for Stills the purchase of those fifty five gallon drums wasn’t difficult to trace. He bought this particular drum on his credit card four months ago. We have his signature on file.” Chin put the image on the screen. “It’s enough to bring Stills in for questioning.” 

Steve clapped his hands together in glee. “Time to crack some heads.”

“The case, Steven,” Danny corrected. “Time to crack the case.”

“Either one.”

“No, not either one. How about we act like cops for once, huh?” 

Steve snorted.

“Why is that such a novel concept with this group?”

Kono laughed as they all made their way out the door. 

 

“Guys let’s run this just like we discussed. Danny and I are going up. Kono, and Chin you have the exits covered. Lou, stick with the suspect’s vehicle.”

They took their positions. Danny moved to his back and they made their way silently up the stairs.

The second story stairway door slammed open and Steve brought his gun up sharply. 

“Oh my God. Don’t kill me!” The man dropped his paper bag throwing his hands in the air.

Steve breathed evenly, keeping his heartbeat steady. “Sir, go back to your apartment and remain there until we give you an all-clear.”

“Yes, yes, of course I will,” the man squeaked.

“And make sure you come back and clean this up later,” Danny added, pointing to the spilled food.

Steve’s lips twitched in amusement.

“Yes, sir. Absolutely, sir.”

“Are those donuts in place of hamburger buns?” Danny asked, stepping past the spill. “That is just another level of disgusting.”

“Focus, Danny.”

“I’m focused, Mr. Terminator. I happen to be able to multitask.” They moved to the third floor. The door opened with a shriek that made them both wince. 

“I’ve got the apartment,” Steve said, motioning the all clear in the foyer. “You take the end of the hallway.”

Steve quickly closed the distance to the apartment. Just then the elevator dinged and the doors slid open to his right. Gregory Stills stepped out holding a laptop bag. He was wearing a wig, but it was definitely him. 

“Gregory Stills, Five-O. Place your hands behind your head, don’t make any sudden movements,” he barked, gun leveled at the suspect’s torso.

For a moment it looked like Stills might comply. He was frozen, hands halfway up, then he bolted back in the direction Steve had come from.

“Shit.” Steve sprinted into movement behind him and then had to slam on the brakes nearly as quickly.

Danny stepped out from around the corner and caught Stills across the shins with a fire extinguisher. 

Steve jumped over the suspect now sprawled on the ground writhing in pain. “Way to plan ahead, Detective Williams,” he said admiringly. “How’d you know he was gonna run?”

Danny smirked. “They always run from you, Steven. It’s like they know you or something.”

“Very funny.” He yanked the man’s arms behind him and cuffed him. “This could have gone a lot easier for you, Mr. Stills. Now I’m going to take great pleasure in making you very uncomfortable.”

 

“All right, Stills claims he doesn’t know where Saunders would have gone to ground, but he says he’s willing to testify that Saunders pulled the trigger and was the one who dumped the body. He alleges he went along with the whole thing because he was afraid for his own life.”

“No honor among murderous bottom feeders, imagine that.” Danny crossed his arms. “Do we have any idea what rock Saunders might have crawled under?”

Kono nodded and brought up a satellite image on the screen. “Just got a hit and it turns out you’re being more literal than you know. This is about a fifteen acre property that is owned by Saunders’ uncle, a Jeremiah Saunders.”

“Okay,” Lou acknowledged. “I’m not seeing any houses or building structures.”

“Exactly.” She flicked her wrist and brought up two more images.

Steve leaned forward. “Are those …?”

“You guessed it.” Kono zoomed in. “Saunders’ uncle was a doomsday prepper. He built underground bunkers, and he kept them well-stocked.”

Danny grunted. “Why do I get the feeling that doesn’t just mean food and blankets.”

Kono grinned. “Well, you’re right about the food part.” She pulled up several photographs. “It looks like he also wanted to be able to hold out against an army. These are weapons retrieved from just one bunker three years ago. Authorities always suspected there were more bunkers but they never found them and he never disclosed additional locations.”

“Great, let’s go talk to him,” Lou interjected.

“It won’t be that easy.”

“Of course it won’t,” Danny sighed.

Kono gave him a commiserating look. “Jeremiah Saunders died of a heart attack in prison. He won’t be talking.”

“Our best guess is that our suspect knows about the location of the bunkers and is holed up in one of them.” Chin displayed the map indicating areas of interest. 

There were a lot of them.

Lou sighed. “Good thing I don’t have anywhere to be for the next eight to ten weeks.”

“So, what’s the game plan?”

Steve continued to stare at the pictures. “I don’t want any of us going in blind to an ambush. As of now we don’t know where this bunker could be, so I don’t want anyone on Saunders’ property. I’ll put in a call to Navy Intelligence, maybe they can get us some underground satellite images. You all focus on talking to everyone Jeff Saunders so much as said good morning to in the past year. I’ll call you with any leads.”

“Sure thing, boss.”

Danny grabbed Steve’s arm as the others filed out. “Steve.”

“Relax,” Steve groaned. “I won’t go in single-handedly, or get shot, or stabbed, or kidnapped.”

“Right. Not like that’s ever happened before.” he sniped, pulling Steve closer. “And you forgot to add blown up.”

“Right,” Steve grinned. “I won’t get blown up.”

“We need to lay out a plan before you go anywhere.”

“Danny, I am going to go meet with Navy Intelligence officers and the come back here to fill you all in. That’s it.”

“Why don’t you just ask Joe. He can help us out, right?”

“No,” Steve countered. “He’s been AWOL since he dropped the intel on my mother.”

“Wonderful.” Danny pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on. 

“I told you, it’s fine. I’m just gonna see if I can get us a little cooperation for our case.”

“Fine, but,” he held up a hand to forestall Steve’s objections, “but things have a way of going south with you. Better to plan for it.”

Steve placed his hands on this hips. “All right, lay it on me. What do you want me to do?”

“Just check in every hour, okay? Simple. Call, radio, whatever, just make contact.”

“I’m partial to smoke signals.”

“Yeah? How about hand signals?” Danny retorted, flipping him off.

Steve laughed. “I’ll check in. You have my word.”

 

Steve did not keep his word. Danny knew Steve wouldn’t do that to them on purpose. He wouldn’t do that to Danny. It didn’t make him feel any better because that meant Steve couldn’t make contact and Danny was left picturing all sorts of gruesome scenarios, each one worse than the last. 

He couldn’t focus on that. He needed to keep a clear head because they had to find Jeff Saunders. Odds were if they found him, they found Steven. 

“I put my money on McGarrett every time,” Kamekona said. “He is one tough _haole_.”

Kono tried to smile. “Yeah. And thanks for the food Kamekona.”

“Shoots, I know my fam. You forget to eat when one of yous is in danger. Not that McGarrett’s in danger,” he added hastily.

Danny stared harder at the red dots pinpointing Jeremiah Saunders’ properties all over the island. He jumped about three feet in the air when his phone rang. “Steven,” he barked into the receiver. 

There was a long pause on the other end of the line. “No.” 

Danny wilted.

“Sorry.” Joe cleared his throat. “I got your message. I spoke with a source in Navy Intel, they said Steve called them to schedule to meet with an officer but never showed.”

Danny’s gut clenched and his knees turned to jello. “Okay,” he took a breath. “Okay. So somewhere between here and there he disappeared.” He clenched his hand around the phone. “We could use your help on this one.”

“I’ll be there in ten,” Joe said curtly.

He was just disconnecting when Chin burst into his office. “We have something.”

Christ, he was going to need a heart transplant if his kept doing Olympic dives. “Show me.”

The others were already gathered as Chin pulled up traffic cam footage on the screen. “Unfortunately, this cam only takes still images, so we don’t have all the info we need, but he walked away alive from this scene.”

The images show Steve’s truck entering the intersection and the next still shows a large red SUV plowing into the truck at a perpendicular angle. The third still only shows the SUV, no truck.

“Oh god,” Kono says. 

There is a chunk of guardrail missing in the picture and what looks like a steep drop on the other side.

“You said he walked away,” Danny said hoarsely.

Chin glanced at him. “He does.” 

And there, the next still is of Steve - it’s definitely him, Danny would stake his life on it - climbing over the side of that damned cliff, the SUV now no longer in sight. No other images show Steve. No clues to what happened next. 

“Is that the correct time stamp?” Lou asked. “That was right after we left here. That was three hours ago. How the hell did we not know about this until now?”

“You saw what happened. The truck went over the side, it’s not visible from the road and there appear to have been no witnesses. I called HPD as soon as we got word and their techs will be crawling all over the area in a few minutes.”

Danny can’t tear his gaze away from the tiny, pixelated image of Steve. 

“He didn’t make contact with anyone here after that crash?”

“None of us have heard from him,” Chin confirmed. “But he’s alive, he must still be working the case.”

Danny struggled to gather his thoughts. “Chin, Lou, you two take point on the truck. Kono you and I are going to figure out where the hell that bunker is.”

He was poring over their case file, looking for anything they might have missed, when Joe walked into Five-O. Danny was on his feet immediately. “Do we have anything?”

Joe grinned. “You’re gonna like what I have to tell you.”

 

Danny practically fell back onto his chair. “So he did get in contact with Navy Intelligence?”

“More like one of their officers made contact with him.” Joe grimaced. “I couldn’t get more because the operative in question is stateside under orders to stay dark. But I could ascertain that the Navy did locate the bunker, and the asset and Steve were both air-dropped into the hot zone.”

Fuck. Danny put his head in his hands, dizzy with relief, and a whole new set of worries. He had to focus on one thing at a time or he was going to lose his mind, and his nonexistent lunch. “This asset and Steve went in alone? Against a goddamned armada?”

Joe looked taken aback. “It’s one hostile.”

“Yes, one very hostile hostile. He’s armed to the teeth.”

Joe’s lips twitched and Danny really wanted to punch him. “You’re underestimating both Steve and the asset.”

“No, I’m not. Everyone else overestimates him, okay? He’s human. He bleeds and that means he can di-” Danny stopped, breath shuddering out of him. “I’m calling the others,” he said after a beat, regaining his composure. “We’re going to need the location of that bunker and we’re going after him.”

“It’s possible you could be compromising the operation by going in blind,” Joe pointed out.

“This is a police investigation, not a goddamn military operation and Steven should have thought about that before he went off half-cocked.” Danny was flushed and nearly panting at the end of his little diatribe.

Joe held his hands up in surrender. “I’ll get you the intel.”

 

Danny jumped and swatted at another bug that landed on him - he looked down and then wished he hadn’t. The centipede fell with a soft bounce and skittered away. “Can I just say, I hate the freaking jungle?” He stomped on a spider. “And I hate Steven even more for being the reason I’m in the freaking jungle getting molested by the local wildlife.”

“Actually,” Chin corrected, “it’s not a jungle-”

Danny glared at him and he closed his mouth with a soft click. 

“How much further?”

Kono glanced down at her GPS. “We’re nearly on top of it.”

“Anyone else think we should be hearing something by now?” Lou asked, uneasily.

“It is too quiet,” Joe agreed. “Stay alert.”

They only walked half a mile further northeast when they spotted the dilapidated entrance to the bunker. Joe signaled silently for Danny and Chin to follow him, then motioned for Lou and Kono to cover them. 

They walked a few paces only to be confronted with a gun barrel pointing at them from the only access point. “Five-O, identify yourself!”

Danny closed his eyes, breath leaving him in a rush. 

Joe laughed. “At ease, soldier. We’re friendlies.”

The next moment Steven had emerged, limping and bloody and caked in mud and Jesus Christ, he was the most beautiful sight Danny had ever seen. He was clearly favoring his right side but he was vertical which was all Danny needed to know. The wave of relief felt crushing, but a second later it was overshadowed by a sudden - but totally understandable - cloud of angry indignation.

“Jesus Christ, Steven!” he yelled pushing forward. “What the hell is your issue, huh? Where have you been? Why didn’t you call? Do you know what time it is? It’s now almost five hours past your check-in time. Do you understand the point of having a radio? Or a cell phone? Those are items you use to communicate with, Steven!” 

McGarrett stopped at the barrage of questions aimed his way from a very angry blond. Even Chin and Kono looked taken aback. Joe opened his mouth, then just stared at Danny thoughtfully. 

“I know,” he said soothingly, trying to appease Daniel. “I know. Things went sideways, and I lost my phone and radio when my car was sent over a cliff. I can explain everything later, but for now it’s under control.”

“You’re bleeding,” Danny said by way of refutal. He grasped Steve’s arm as he reached him. “Why am I not surprised? Oh, that’s right. It’s because you’re a lunatic and no day is complete without you bleeding everywhere.”

“Huh.” Steve’s lips twitched in amusement. “Did you miss me?”

“You know what’s not gonna miss? My foot, your balls. Answer my questions, you jerk.”

Steve raised his hands in surrender. He wasn’t wiping that stupid, knowing smirk off his face, though. But he wasn’t the one who spoke.

“Sorry about that,” said one Lieutenant Catherine Rollins strolling out of the bunker looking as strikingly beautiful as ever, if a little worse for the wear. “My fault.” She winked at Steve and he grinned back. 

Danny’s hand went slack on Steve’s arm. Oh.


	4. Chapter 4

“You’re the operative?” Danny flicked the safety of his gun on. “Well. Good to see you, Catherine.” He kept his voice even, friendly. 

She grinned at him. “What, no hug?”

“Sure,” he said, smile strained. “Get over here.”

Steve stepped aside. The asshole was smiling and flushed, eyes shining as he watched them.

“Saunders still got a heartbeat?” he asked the idiot, terse.

“About as much as a doornail.”

Well. They were two for two. Their suspect and their romance both axed, he thought bitterly amused.

“Chin, we’re going to need everyone out here,” Danny called out as Catherine went to greet the rest of the team. “And make sure they put a rush order on medical for these two.”

“No need, Danny,” Steve broke in. “It can wait until we wrap up here.”

“You and Catherine need to be checked out,” he said curtly, turning away. He crossed his arms, studying the bunker entrance. “We clear to move in?”

He could feel Steve’s stare. “Danny-”

“We’ll need Max.” he interrupted, moving away. “I’ll make the call.”

“Hey,” Steve caught up and grabbed his arm. “Look, I get it. You’re pissed.” He pulled Danny closer, turning his body to shield them from the others. “Just give me a few minutes, we can talk.”

The only thing Danny was ready to give him at the moment was a swift kick to the backside. He freed himself none too gently. “We’re at a crime scene, McGarrett. Let’s do our job.”

He ignored Steve’s protests and walked to meet Lou who was already making his way into the bunker. It looked damned dark down in that rat hole. Ugh. Smelled like a rat hole too. He lifted his shirt over his nose to try to block the worst of the scent. Saunders must not have known the state of disrepair the bunker had fallen into in his uncle’s absence. The air filtration system was definitely not up to par. The crappy little fifteen by twelve-foot room was a goddamn crypt.

“This is disgusting.” Lou carefully prodded at a stained, broken down shelf with spilling foodstuffs. 

Danny turned away as he heard Steve making his way down. “Make sure the perimeter is secured,” he was yelling over his shoulder. “Okay, we’re in business. Techs are on the way.”

“How about we let them take this one?”

“Sorry, Lou.” Danny could hear the grin in Steve’s voice. “Crime scene with a DB means we’re getting our hands dirty.”

Lou sighed. “Couldn’t you at least have shot him outside?”

“Just for you, I’ll take it into consideration for next time.”

Danny’s lips twitched in amusement despite himself, but that amusement evaporated when Steve pulled him to the side. “I need to talk to you.”

“Not now,” he ground out between clenched teeth. Christ, the guy went missing for hours at a time without so much as a text and _now_ he was Mr. Dialogue?

“If it’s not now you’ll probably just throw a fit about it later.”

Danny reminded himself that Steve was injured - in fact, he was almost certainly more injured than he was letting on - and didn’t shove an elbow into the Navy SEAL’s ribs. He carefully, but definitively, freed himself and moved away.

“Danny, I said I was sorry.” Steve threw up his hands in frustration. “You’re acting childish.”

And, injured or not, Danny nearly beaned Steven for that one. He grit his teeth instead.

Lou was staring at them both, eyebrows raised. “All right, listen, whatever spat you two are having, it needs to take a back seat to the dead guy. Can we agree on that?”

Danny nodded curtly.

Steve ran his hand over his head in frustration and huffed. Finally, he just waved his hand in the universal _go ahead_ , or maybe it was the American _fuck off_. Hard to tell in the poor lighting.

“Damn it! Is there a light switch somewhere?” Danny cursed, clutching at his shin which he’d just rammed into the metal edge of a low table.

“Power seems to be out,” Steve replied. “Are you hurt?”

“Just my dignity.”

Steve laughed. “Let’s wrap this one up quick. Faster we’re done, faster we’re gone.”

 

 

He stepped out of the shower followed by a cloud of steam, skin pink from the heat and scrubbing. It had felt like he wasn’t ever going to feel clean after spending four damned hours down in that bunker hauling evidence out with the crime response team. Apparently, Saunders had been holed up there several days and had finally snapped and decided he’d try and skip the island. Seeing Steve at that intersection seemed like it may have been dumb coincidence. Even dumber had been returning to the bunker.

“Danny.”

Danny jumped and whirled around, one hand tight on his towel where it was wrapped around his waist. “Goddamn it!”

Steve was sitting on his couch, unmoving. Hell, he might not be able to move given his brief stint earlier in the day as a BASE jumper. Minus the wingsuit.

“Ever heard of knocking? What if I shot you?”

Steve grinned faintly. “Yeah? That a euphemism?” he asked, gaze dropping to Danny’s towel.

Danny flushed, hand tightening on the terry cloth. 

“Are you naked?” Steve asked, teasing.

Callous bastard. “No,” Danny said, acerbically, “I like to hop in the shower with my underwear on. Two birds, one stone, you know?” He moved to his bedroom to throw on some clothes. Any other day and he might have been tempted to hang around Steve mostly naked, but it wasn’t any other day and he needed a barrier. “What are you doing here, anyway? You should be in the hospital,” he called back.

“I was,” McGarrett answered, standing right behind him.

“Christ!” Danny jumped and whirled. _Again_. “What the hell!” He clutched his heart. “No wonder you like cats so much. You have a lot in common with them.”

Steve smirked. “I’m a stealthy survivalist?”

“Don’t forget an asshole,” he added, sweetly. 

Steve grimaced. 

He was probably in pain. “You should be resting,” he said, reluctantly concerned.

“I would love to be resting.” Steve grabbed Danny’s arm and pulled him down to sit on the bed. “But since you didn’t show at the hospital, I figured I’d come to the mountain and rest here.”

Danny yanked his arm away and stood, clutching the towel. “I’m sure you’d be more comfortable at home. Your home,” he added, in case the other man got any ideas.

Steve scratched the back of his neck. “Maybe it’s time to have that chat.”

“I would have loved to chat with you. About eight hours ago. Now’s not so good, I’m busy.”

“Don’t do that, Daniel.” Steve grabbed his arm and pulled him close. 

Christ, he was a handsy bastard. 

“I told you what happened to my phone and the radio. I’m sorry I didn’t stop somewhere to call you, but Saunders had crawled out of his hole. There was no better time to go after him.”

“You were with Catherine. That entire time, you were with her.”

Steve rubbed his temples. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“Are you telling me she doesn’t carry a phone anymore? Did she forget my number? Or Kono’s? Or Chin’s?” Danny was flushed with indignation. “What about 911, did she forget that one too?”

“Danny, after Saunders’ attempt at taking me out he would be expecting a full frontal assault. Stealth and low numbers were key in getting to him and keeping casualties to a minimum.”

Danny snorted contemptuously. “Right. It had nothing to do with you wanting to play Rambo with Catherine.”

“What?” Steve frowned. “What the hell does that mean?” He took Danny’s arm again like he needed the contact. The blond ignored the warmth that shot through him at that thought.

“It means that your team had a case, but instead keeping us in the loop you just went off galavanting with her.”

“Wait.” Steve held up his hands. “This is about Catherine?” 

The disbelief in his tone annoyed the hell out of Danny. “Of course not,” he bit out. He still had some pride left.

“You know,” Steve said, voice wry, “it’s a good thing you’re with me because I know that you are incapable of being in a decent, solid relationship without trying to sabotage it, so I can plan for that.”

“I don’t-”

“You have not had a single serious relationship since your marriage ended. That’s not normal, Daniel. It’s been years.”

“Oh, like you’re a model for healthy relationships?” he retorted, stung. “You’ve refused to see anyone since Catherine left.”

“I’m seeing you,” Steve argued. 

“Yeah about once every other day,” Danny muttered.

Steve had the gall to grin. “You want to see each other more often? We can talk about that.”

“Unless it’s the type of conversation that happens naked, get out. Let me get dressed.”

Steve opened his mouth to protest - or maybe agree - then simply got to his feet and walked back to the living room. Danny told himself he wasn’t disappointed. Not like sex would solve anything and it wasn’t really an option anyway given that Steve still shied away from anything below the waist. 

He quickly threw on some shorts and a shirt and trudged barefoot out to the kitchen, ignoring Steve. The man was smiling down at a framed picture of him and Gracie last Halloween. 

He rummaged in his cabinets for the unopened bottle of Jameson’s he kept for disaster situations. Like when Rachel called. He didn’t even like the stuff, but this day called for something stronger than beer. He lifted the bottle in offering to Steve, but the other man only frowned.

“Danny, that won’t fix anything.”

He poured himself three fingers of whiskey and downed it, enjoying the trail of heat it left behind. “The only thing I’m interested in fixing is another drink.” 

“Daniel.” Steve took the bottle of his hands before he could tip it into his glass. “Hey.”

“You should really be in the hospital. Someone needs to make sure you’re not bleeding internally.”

“Nah, this is all cosmetic.”

“Yeah? Those a new fashion statement?” he asked, pointing to the colorful bruising along the side of Steve’s face.

“They match my eyes,” he said lightly.

Danny raised his glass in salute.

Steven took it from his hand and set it aside. “You’ve had enough.” Overbearing bastard. “Come here,” he murmured, wrapping his hand around Danny’s arm and pulling him to the living room. “It’s been a long day and I need to sit down.” He moved to the couch and sat, legs outstretched, boneless, and he tugged Danny down next to him, practically on top of him with an arm around his waist, hand slipping under the blond’s shirt and caressing his side, thumb sweeping upwards to meet with his ribs and warming him more than any drink. 

Danny was going to protest, he was going to tell Steve to get the hell home already but the fact of the matter was that he’d been terrified that he’d never see the other man alive again and he wanted him here, even if it was to yell at the heartless jackass. He let himself relax and Steve’s arm tightened and he sighed sounding exhausted. “I’ve been wanting to do this all day.”

“Well, you could have called,” he replied, nettling him.

Steve grunted, eyes closed and Danny took the time to look his fill. The other man had cleaned up - probably at the hospital - but there was no removing the deep-set bruising that marred his face and disappeared down into the collar of his shirt. It looked worse now than it had earlier. Despite himself, Danny softened and stroked his fingers over the SEAL’s unmarked cheek. 

Steve turned into the caress and mumbled appreciatively making Danny’s heart twinge. He should have talked with Steven at the hospital, he’d been a stubborn ass to stay away, but the fact of the matter was when he’d poked his head into Steve’s room and seen Catherine there sitting at his bedside, he’d turned around and walked away. All because he was a coward because he couldn’t stand the thought of being in that same room and watching her weave her way back into Steven’s life. She still had feelings for him, that was obvious and try as Danny did, he couldn’t convince himself that Steve would choose him over her.

“I can hear you being all gloomy, you know.” Steve’s eyes were half open, glimmering at Danny in a way that made his breath catch. “Let me give you something else to do.” He leaned forward and captured Danny’s lips in a searing kiss. It wasn’t gentle, it wasn’t like any kiss they’d shared so far, this was heated and biting with an edge of anger that Danny understood only too well and he responded in kind, shoving his tongue forward aggressively and taking and tasting as he plundered. Steve groaned and shifted, settling back on the couch, lying full length on it and pulling Danny over him so that their chests and hips pressed together, legs tangling in a heap.

Danny sucked in a sharp breath, pulling back to look the other man in the eyes. “Babe, you’re hurt.” He tried moving back but Steve locked a hand behind his head and leaned up to kiss him then mouthed softly along his jaw as he reached down and tugged his shirt up until Danny raised up and tossed it over his head, making the other man grumble, pleased and kiss his bare shoulder.

“How hard did you hit your head?” he gasped as Steve stroked his back and licked at the tendons of his neck.

“Just hard enough,” he murmured, voice a dark, husky octave that made Danny swallow hard.

“If this some weird attempt at self-sacrifice, I want no part of it.”

“Danny-”

“No, really, if this is you being noble, stop now.”

Steve huffed and by way of answer he thrust upwards and shoved his hardening cock into the softness of Danny’s belly, grasping his ass and pulling Danny down into him. 

“Okay. Jesus, okay,” Danny gasped, his own dick responding to that line heat. If Steve was all in, no way in hell was Danny aborting the proceedings. He kissed and stroked whatever part of the other man he could reach, annoyed at the hindrance of clothing. “Off,” he murmured as he nuzzled against Steve’s neck, feeling their hardnesses rub together deliciously, maddeningly at every breath and shift. 

Steve nodded and pushed Danny back only far enough to rip his shirt off, then he paused and gasped, going pale.

“Jesus, Steve. Come on, breathe with me.” Danny leaped off the couch, no easy feat considering he was about hard enough to hammer nails and stroked the other man’s arm. “Hey. You okay?”

“Fine.” Steve took a cautious breath and grinned. “I’m fine, just a little sore.”

“Diving off a mountain will do that to you,” he said lightly and kissed his temple, his jaw, the bridge of his nose.

“Mmm. Feels nice,” Steve murmured reaching to try and pull Daniel on top of him again. “Come back here.”

Danny freed himself gently. “You need to lie down on an actual bed. Come on.”

They made their - slow - way to the bedroom. Whatever he said, Steve was definitely feeling his aches and pains now.

“Lie back,” Danny murmured. “No, on your stomach,” he instructed.

Steve raised up on his elbows, looking unsure. He coughed, “Daniel, I don’t think I’m-”

“Relax you, I don’t have designs on your virtue.”

“I hope you have _some_ designs on my virtue,” Steve protested, turning.

Danny laughed and placed his hands on those wide, muscled shoulders, stroking down to the trim, tapered waist. “Jesus. You look sexy as hell, you know that?” he whispered against the back of his neck. He kissed the delicate flesh there and continued down, stroking, petting, worshipful. He was taking the time to cherish, to love because he did love Steven and trying to protect himself against the fallout was bullshit. He was already in too deep. If he was gonna go down, he was going down in flames. And, God, would it hurt.

He kissed each vertebra working his way down his spine until he reached the dip of his lower back, cock pressed hard to the back of Steve’s leg. “Take these off?” he murmured, tugging on his jeans.

Steve took an unsteady breath but nodded and unbuttoned them quickly. Danny watched as he slipped out of them, fast and then was on his belly again before Danny could appreciate all of him. But there was more than enough to appreciate on this side too. He took a steadying breath, cautioning himself against going too fast and lifted one of Steve’s feet, kissing the ankle and massaging his sole with sure deep strokes. He knew he’d made the right move when the tension in Steve’s shoulders eased. 

“I love you,” he murmured, kissing the back of the other man’s calf, the back of his knee, his thigh. Steve breathed out a long sigh and Danny moved to his other leg giving it the same loving treatment. He was trying to communicate by touch, telling Steve more than a few impacted words could. He said it with his hands and lips and tongue until Steve was groaning into the sheets, hands fisted in the cloth, wordlessly asking for more, hips rising to meet Danny’s lips.

“I love you,” he said again, shakily as he lifted up and discarded his own clothes, impatiently shoving off his underwear. He held himself raised on one arm over Steven, touching only where their knees met as Danny kneeled over him. “Okay?” he asked roughly.

He heard Steve swallow then the other man simply reached back and pulled Danny down on top of him. Danny gasped and moaned feeling his cock part the beautiful globes of Steve’s ass. God that was a sweet feeling. He rested over him careful not to hurt, feeling all of Steven, every inch of him as he humped, unable to stop himself against that tender, silken secret skin.

Steve was panting.

“How does it feel?” he asked him. “Steve, tell me how it feels.”

Steven shook his head and moaned lifting his hips into Danny’s next thrust. “Good. Daniel, you feel so good.”

Danny flushed, turning hot and cold by degrees, the muscles of his stomach jumping. It was like taking a shot of pure adrenaline. His heart started to race and his skin felt clammy, but it was the best type of high. He let himself go, humping against Steve needing this after craving it for longer than he’d let himself acknowledge. His cock caught and scraped at the entrance of Steve’s body and they both froze.

“Danny,” Steve cried, strangled. 

“Shh. I won’t. I won’t. It’s okay.” He pulled back, just about weeping at the loss of that deliciousness and humped against Steve again, their sweat creating a nice tight, wet space for him to fuck between Steve’s thighs and he did, feeling his orgasm build at the base of his spine, lighting pleasure centers and he reached for Steve’s cock, stroking him, squeezing tenderly, kissing his neck and shoulder, any part of him he could reach just as Steve cried out and went over that sweet knife edge of pleasure and shot into Danny’s hand. Danny came between those powerful, tan legs, gasping, heart pounding, racing as he flew over that cliff after Steve.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey peeps! thanks for sticking with the story 'til now, hope you've been enjoying it =)  
> And now we are drawing to a close. One more chapter! Yay!!


End file.
